Hetep
'Hetep '(KANJI ROMAJI) is a vast continent that spans a vast expanse of the world. Hetep may be the name of the continent as a whole, but in recent years it has also been accepted as the name for the now united continent-nation after the long and grueling conquest by the hands of Amen Heqet, the Solar Emperor. Overview History Hetep's story is as ancient as humanity itself, a continent whose nations have built a strong foundation upon mutual respect and admiration of the deities which forged this world for them, and as such, it is a bit difficult to tell when or where the first man struck home upon the soil. With numebrable city states littered across the face of Hetep, conflict was a common sight as the kings and queens of the nations made foe then friend and then foe once more of her fellow man. With constantly shifting and differing map lines, it was only a matter of time before someone would seek to capitalize on their struggles and bring it low once and for all. Such an occurance would eventually come to be when a king from the lowly city state of Khemriq who made a campaign of war and unification across the entirety of the continent. Those who resisted him were laid low, and those who tried to negotiate were met by a deaf ear. The only reply the King Amen would accept for an answer was a complete and unconditional surrender. Politics Culture Religion There is only one religion worth a damn in all of Hetep, and that is the worship of the Hetepian pantheon of gods. This faith is entirely centered around the reverance and devotion to this pantheon, and each and every nation, in order to be legitimized, had to take a patron deity or deities to watch over and safeguard the city state. All gods are to be respected and adored, but the gods are themselves are not keen on sharing too many of their subjects with one another, making each and every citizen, as a journey to adulthood, must take up the symbol and more significant worship of a single deity from the pantheon. The head of the church of the "True Faith" is run entirely by the priests and clerics, unimpeded by the secular laws and demands of the kings. The church is run by a High Priest from each and every of the great city states, joining together in a council of sorts where they discuss how to proceed with the evolution of society without impeding the spread and dominance of the church. No man or woman, be they beggar or king can command or lay hand on a priest, as to harm a chosen acolyte of the heavens is severely punishable, not only from the church, but by the hands of any other kingdom who hears of such sacrilige. The church divides its practices and work between different classifications of priests known as "The Painted Augurs." This society within the church makes up the backbone of the church. A simple priest may stand upon an elevated platform and make speeches and hold sermons, but the Augurs are the ones who make the real work. As an example; A Red Augur's task is to see to the dead of a battlefield. No soldier or king would dare to as much as touch their dead before the Augurs have swept the field and given them their final rites. The White Augurs are responsible for the more active events in the realms, such as the rite of Ablution and royal coronations. There are as many colors as the aurora and rainbows in the sky, and each of them holds an important role in society, roles which the nation would be remiss without. The faith has been admonished by many other nations of their world for infringing on ones freedom of speech and religion and having their dogma intruding on matters of state politics. Yet for all the criticism of the nations beyond Hetep, the people seem no the less appeased with their lives for it. Demographics Notable Locations